Combating Negative Peer Pressure

At some point in our lives, we may have experienced or have been a witness to negative peer pressure. It is so easy to do the wrong thing especially when you are not assertive and you think little of yourself and your abilities. Sometimes we haven’t made a friend in such a long time that we do whatever it takes to keep them in our lives and these individuals sometimes impact our lives negatively. Let’s have a little chat about five tips we can use today to combat negative peer pressure.

Watch your circle - Your circle of friends should be helping you to move forward in every way. Some of the times we stay friends with people because of history and they don’t necessarily have a positive impact on us. The things your friends influence you to do should match your personal values and beliefs. They should never pressure you into doing something that can have a negative impact on you.

Speak up - Sometimes we become afraid to stop people because we are afraid of their reaction to us. If something is wrong you should never be afraid to call it out. If you find yourself questioning whether or not you should speak to a friend about something they are constantly doing that is wrong that affects you then maybe you should not be such a close friend with that individual. Do not be afraid to speak up or else people will think you don’t have your own thoughts and voice.

Talk to someone – Sometimes some friendships are hard to walk away from and the fear of being alone will have us remain. Find someone else to talk to about what you are going through and they may provide ways you can help to resolve the pressure or let go of that friend or group of friends. When we become identified with a set of people we tend to feel lost when we walk away from them. Never be afraid to walk away from anything that does not benefit you or if it is hurting others.

Plan how to respond – At the moment we may not think but act upon whatever we are influenced to do. If you realize that your friends have continuous effort to get you to do things that are wrong. Plan how you will respond to them the next time around. Make sure that you make up your mind that you will not be guilt-tripped into doing anything because you want to keep them as your friends. Remember true friends will never encourage you to do things that will hurt you or others.

Pay attention to how it makes you feel - We know when something we do doesn’t feel right. It’s called conscience and it’s weighing on your mind. If your friends encourage you to do something that makes you feel sad, unpleasant or you cannot speak about it proudly then maybe you should not be doing it. Never put your feelings aside just to be socially accepted by anyone. If it’s not right then you don’t have the time!

Negative peer pressure is real and we should never shove it under the mat. You are not only negatively influenced to do wrong things by friends but by family members, work colleagues, things we watch or things we read. Find out what negatively pressures you and try to get rid of it. It’s all about living a just and fair life in an unjust and unfair world. Don’t be caught up in the wrong things or people because being and doing good always pays.

IG:_@always.laugh